LTD MK-600 vs Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V
Reasons to Get
LTD MK-600 over Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V
Reasons to Get
Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V over ESP LTD MK-600
Other Key Differences
LTD MK-600 vs Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V
Shared Features
LTD MK-600 vs Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Table of Contents
Price History Comparison
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Which One is Better Overall?
After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the ESP LTD MK-600 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V's 68 score, which is a significant difference.
The ESP LTD MK-600 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V in every aspect.
However, there's still a reason to choose the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V instead. If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V is easier to play.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V is the better choice.
The Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD MK-600 meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
ESP LTD MK-600- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.
ESP LTD MK-600 Overview
- From ESP LTD's 2016 Signature series
- Mille Petrozza Signature
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 13.78" Fretboard Radius
- Mahogany body
- 3pc Maple neck
- Pau Ferro fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker/Active)
- Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker/Active)
- 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Floyd Rose 1000 bridge
- Thin U Neck-Through neck
- 24 XL Jumbo frets
- Grover tuners
- Compare Specs >
Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V Overview
- From Epiphone's 2019 Artist Collection series
- Dave Rude Signature
- Made in China
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Mahogany body
- Mahogany neck
- Hard Maple fretboard
- Bridge pickup: ProBucker 3 (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: ProBucker 2 (Humbucker/Passive)
- 2 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
- 3-way Switch
- LockTone ABR bridge
- Slim Taper Set neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Grover Rotomatic; 18:1 ratio tuners
- Compare Specs >
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Woods Used in the ESP LTD MK-600
Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
The ESP LTD MK-600 has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Heavy Metal and similar genres.
You can purchase similar pickups to the ESP LTD MK-600's and use them on any guitar:
The ESP LTD MK-600's pickups are Active while the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V's are Passive.
Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.
Winner: ESP LTD MK-600.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Both give you different pickup mod options.
The ESP LTD MK-600 offers Multi-Voicing.
Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.
On the other hand, the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V comes with the following: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: ESP LTD MK-600.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the ESP LTD MK-600 compares to the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The ESP LTD MK-600 is built in Indonesia while the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V is made in China.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
Winner: ESP LTD MK-600
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The ESP LTD MK-600 has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
On the other hand, the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
The ESP LTD MK-600's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.
On the other hand, the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: ESP LTD MK-600.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The ESP LTD MK-600's are Grover while the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V's are Grover Rotomatic; 18:1 ratio
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
The ESP LTD MK-600 has a Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.
On the other hand, the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V comes with Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
Winner: ESP LTD MK-600.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
ESP LTD MK-600
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Tremolo
- Retainer Bar
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Coil Split Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V has the wider nut with 42.7mm (1.68'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.7mm (0.026'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".
This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.
On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The ESP LTD MK-600 has a U type of neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.
The Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the ESP LTD MK-600's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the ESP LTD MK-600.
Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.
Hand Size Comfortability
Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the ESP LTD MK-600 favors large hands more than the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
ESP LTD MK-600:
Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V:
Fret Size
The ESP LTD MK-600 has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Epiphone Dave Rude Flying V's Medium Jumbo frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
